Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM), a branch of a scanning probe microscopy (SPM), can image substrate topography with high resolution. Since its inception, it was extended to a wide range of research areas through continuous improvement. The presence of an electrolytic cell and a potentiostat makes it possible to observe the topographical changes of the sample surface in real time. EC-AFM is used in in situ corrosion research because the samples are not required to be electrically conductive. It is widely used in passive film properties, surface dissolution, early-stage corrosion initiation, inhibitor efficiency, and many other branches of corrosion science. This review provides the research progress of EC-AFM and summarizes the extensive applications and investigations using EC-AFM in corrosion science.

Electrochemical probes and sensors have been developed to detect and monitor atmospheric corrosion of metallic materials in the past 40 decades. Depending on the measurement methods, the electrodes and structures of probes and sensors can be different. Various mathematical methods and models have been developed to determine the time-dependent corrosion rate of metal under thin electrolyte film. Polarization techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear polarization resistance (LRP) have the advantage of easy data interpretation but have a tendency to interfere with the corrosion system under investigation. Nonpolarized techniques such as electrochemical noise (EN) do not disturb the corrosion system but data interpretation can be problematic. To achieve long term and reliable corrosion monitoring, optimized electrode design and a multichannel electrochemical instrument are required. New corrosion models and novel data interpretation methods are needed in future work.

The application of NaCl-based aluminum-air batteries is limited due to the passivation of the aluminum anode. In an effort to solve this problem, this work studied the influence of different concentrations of Ga³⁺ additives on the discharge behavior of Al in the NaCl electrolyte. The results of both experiments and theoretical calculations have shown that commercial purity aluminum could be significantly activated by Ga³⁺. Based on microstructure observations and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the influence activation mechanism of Ga³⁺ on the discharge behavior of commercial purity Al is clarified. The addition of Ga³⁺ biased the surface charge of aluminum along the activation direction, forming activation sites, and then destroyed the surface passivation film. Due to the formation of a gallium–aluminum amalgam, the Al-air battery had the best discharge characteristics in the electrolyte with 0.2 M Ga³⁺, and its discharge voltage reached 0.9734 V with a remarkable increase compared with that of NaCl solution (0.4228 V). Therefore, Ga³⁺ additive is a promising choice for NaCl-based Al-air batteries to improve their discharge voltage.

By modifying the bonding of graphene (GR) and Fe₃O₄, a stable structure of GR-Fe₃O₄, namely magnetic GR, was obtained. Under the induction of a magnetic field, it can be orientated in an epoxy resin (EP) matrix, thus preparing EP/GR-Fe₃O₄ composites. The effects of the content of GR and the degree of orientation on the thermal conductivity of the composites were investigated, and the most suitable Fe₃O₄ load on GR was obtained. When the mass ratio of GR and Fe₃O₄ was 2:1, the thermal conductivity could be increased by 54.8% compared with that of pure EP. Meanwhile, EP/GR-Fe₃O₄ composites had a better thermal stability, dynamic thermomechanical properties, and excellent electrical insulation properties, which can meet the requirements of electronic packaging materials.

Hydrogen evolution reaction and dendrite growth seriously break the Zn plating/stripping process at the electrolyte/electrode interface, causing the instability of the Zn anode of aqueous zinc ion batteries. To improve the Zn anode stability and reversibility, we report a new electrolyte additive of aqueous electrolyte with the hydrophobic group. This interfacial hydrophobicity maximises the exclusion of free water from the Zn anode surface, which blocks water erosion and reduces interfacial side reactions. Thus, in an optimal 2 M ZnSO₄ electrolyte with 2 g·L⁻¹ Tween-85, the hydrogen evolution reaction and other water-induced undesired reactions can be suppressed, which greatly improves the cycling stability and Coulombic efficiency (CE) of Zn plating/stripping process. The stable cycle time of the Zn//Zn symmetric battery reaches over 1300 h, especially at a high current density and a high areal capacity (more than 650 h at 5 mA·cm⁻², 5 mAh·cm⁻²). The average Coulomb efficiency (CE) of Zn//Ti asymmetric cell achieves 98.11% after 300 cycles. The capacity retention rate of Zn//MnO₂ full battery is up to 88.6% after 1000 cycles.

The heat released from an aluminum-air battery has a great effect on its performance and operating life during the discharge process. A theoretical model was proposed to evaluate the resulting thermal effect, and the generated heat was divided into the following sources: anodic aluminum oxidation reaction, cathodic oxygen reduction reaction, heat production against the battery internal resistance, and hydrogen-evolution reaction. Quantitative analysis was conducted on each part, showing that all heat production sources increased with discharge current density. It should be noted that the heat caused by hydrogen evolution accounted for the most, up to 90%. Furthermore, the regulation strategy for inhibiting hydrogen evolution was developed by addition of hybrid additives to the electrolyte, and the hydrogen-evolution rate was greatly reduced by more than 50% as was the generated heat. This research has important guidance for the thermal effect analysis of aluminum–air batteries, together with control of the thermal management process by inhibiting hydrogen evolution, thus promoting their practical application.